MLK Party at Tarleton State
 

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.29f6e79.html

STEPHENVILLE - The president of the Tarleton State University chapter of the NAACP said Wednesday that he and other students are upset about a Martin Luther King Day party where students ate fried chicken, drank malt liquor and dressed in faux gang apparel.
"I feel like there is no excuse for this type of ignorance," said Donald Ray Elder, a Tarleton State sophomore and president of the school's NAACP chapter.
Pictures posted on Facebook.com showed partygoers wearing afro wigs and fake gold and silver teeth. One photo showed students "mocking how African-Americans do step shows," Elder said. In another picture, a student is dressed as Aunt Jemima and carries a gun.
"That upsets me," Elder said. "That's someone who knows nothing about Dr. King because Dr. King was totally about nonviolence."
The school plans to investigate and "if there is a policy violation, then our process will be followed," said Wanda Mercer, the school's vice president of student life. A university-sponsored forum to address the issue was scheduled for Wednesday night.
The president of the school's Lambda Chi Alpha chapter said the Jan. 15 party was at the residence of one of its members but denied the fraternity had anything to do with it. Students from at least seven other campus groups also attended the party, said Devan Hanson, the fraternity president.
"I think it was wrong for them to do and inappropriate," Hanson said. "And I think the individuals should be responsible for their own actions."
Tarleton State President Dennis P. McCabe said the photographs were reprehensible.
"I am personally insulted by these photographs and am disappointed that Tarleton students have demonstrated such insensitivity," he said.
The Stephenville Empire-Tribune reported that Elder sent an e-mail to the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity member who posted the pictures. The fraternity member apologized and removed the pictures from his Web site, but not before Elder downloaded them onto a disk.


not like this kind of thing surprises me these days. i'm just mad the dude apologized and took the pics down. lol, he should be strong in his convictions.

Hello.

Ummmm, removing the pictures doesn't negate the fact that it happened.

Those silly frat boys, but then fraters will be fraters.

I'm sorry.......but that made me laugh.

the smoking gun has the story along with pictures

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...25071mlk1.html

Didn't we go through this last year?

I see white kids dressed like this in Atlanta all the time. However, unlike these people, they don't realize how stupid they look.

This is a yearly thing.

Yeah, that was kind of my point.

But see my join date? I've only been here for one year's worth.

You'd think at some point they'd stop having the parties...

No, no, no - they are being 'fratty'. ;)

those gang signs...

hi.

:flowers:

their fratting hard

whoooo!!!!!

you see white kids dress like aunt jemima armed to the teeth?

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphic...25071mlk18.jpg

people still do that?????

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

apparently, someone saw an LL cool J video from like '93 the other night

i just don't get where people get the ideas for these parties - a party with this theme doesn't even make sense to me

Actually that isn't being fratty. Thanks. Those people look like poor trash.

I believe he means that he sees white kids trying to dress like black rappers and street thugs all of the time.

I do to. It is ridiculous.

It was inexcusable and even though kids today do ethnic cross over dressing, something like this is stupid for semi adult college kids.

But, I still wonder if it was a Fraternity function as not sponsered and attended by members of other GLOs?

I will tell you, that LXA IHQ takes a dim view on this sort of thing.

So apparently now if you have a party that offends someone in what I am assuming is a private home, not a University residence, not affiliated with a University or fraternity house, and not taking place in any kind of public area, then you get your photos splashed all over the National News Media and your name slandered by your University?

HOOORAAYYY!!

Mac--I get what you are saying, but the pictures were posted online by someone from the party. I think that pretty much is an invitation for people to view and respond.

I don't see what is "fun" about this kind of a theme? People making a fashion statement is one thing, but having a party where the theme is to ridicule another culture is just plain insensitive, not funny.

mac, I agree, but everything has become so sensitized and P C that it is really getting over the top anymore.

If the group in the same ethnic group do something, then it is perectally alright.

But, god forbid if someone out side of that group does anything, then there is hell to pay.

We all have to trod that fine line of being perfect.

Fun in no matter what some think as being fine isn't.

Ergo, the native American and sports.

Soon, maybe it will be the Bears, Horses, Dolphins, Steelworkers, Insects, etc.

Oh gawd. I'm a Tarleton Alum...my husband is an alum of that LXA chapter. I don't even know what to say. I see the point that it was a private party, but to put it on the WWW was clearly an invitation to the world to see and criticize. Knowing the history of that chapter, and knowing they are one of the only GLOs on that campus that have African American alumni, I feel confident in saying this was definitely not a chapter sanctioned activity. Fat lot of good that does, though. :(

The issue is not whether is was fraternity sactioned or not, on public property or not, at a public or private institution. The issue is that its 2007, and people still think its appropriate and in good taste to have a party theme that ridicules and demeans another group of people. It boggles my mind that after countless reports of these types of events and the backlash against it, folks still go "wow, that's such a good idea!" when these things are brought up.

Then again, there are lots of folks on here who think they did nothing wrong, so I guess this sort of thing will just keeping repeating itself. Maybe I should hold a "Dress up like a Becky" party and then post the pics on here....hmmmm

Doesn't everyone have an MLK gathering every year?

We don't have people dress up but we always drink 40's of old english and chicken wings.

who's Becky?

I was talking about it being a yearly thing, in general. Not a GC thing. :)

I never do that....Does that mean I'm out the Black club? *gasp*

That's a dumb logic. Didn't you already type this:

It was inexcusable and even though kids today do ethnic cross over dressing, something like this is stupid for semi adult college kids.

I will tell you, that LXA IHQ takes a dim view on this sort of thing.

Which is it?

Exactly. Does that not make sense to you?

A stereotypical white woman or even a stereotypical white sorority girl.

A lot of chapters on a lot of campuses have these kinds of parties. I can't believe some of you haven't seen them before. I'm not even sure this belongs in risk management because there's no "risk" to these parties which is any different from any other party which is thrown.

Hmmmm....

I beg to differ. There's a "risk" of perpetuating dumbassness and tainting what should be an enlightening college experience. I guess we need for angry naysayers to come in a whoop some ass at these parties or for drunk frat guys to commit hate crimes while dressed as Aunt Jemima for there to be "risk."

ETA: Anything that can jeopardize an organization's standing constitutes "risk management." That includes hazing and throwing offensively themed parties.

I see these kinds of parties all of the time........from plenty of groups other than just predominately white fraternities.

Call them out so we can roast them too.

For the record....i've seen two black fraternities two different times having "lets make fun of fratty white guys and their lifestyle parties." I think its quite hilarious...........though I would never cause a huge hoopla over it. If they want to throw on some Brooks Brothers, short shorts, and loafers.....drink scotch and listen to the grateful dead......more power to them. I could give two shits.

These guys threw on hoodies, dranks 40s, and ate fried chicken.......its not like they dressed up like the KKK and burned crosses. I could go to a white trash trailor park and probobly see pretty much the exact same things as what are in those pictures.

Yeah, when I was in undergrad, these were pretty common. There's a lot of PC posturing going on right now.

If this is a FACT then they are idiots. If this can be PROVEN then they should be chastised and disciplined.

If you are just ASSUMING this theme because you saw Kappas with popped collars and loafers on, then you're in for a debate.

Any questions?

You HAVE to be kidding me. Don't act like you aren't familiar with the stereotypes of blacks and think this is all mere coincidence. For an MLK party, too? This logic is why we'll keep seeing idiots throw parties like this.

I don't disagree with you-the fact that this sort of thing keeps happening is appalling - first because they had the party in the first place, and second that they failed to exercise the judgment NOT to post it on the internet. I'm ashamed that it happened at my alma mater.

I only mentioned that in my opinion, it was not sanctioned by the fraternity, because of my personal experience with this chapter, and felt it was relevant to this discussion (by virtue of the fact that we are discussing it on Greekchat). Please don't interpret my comments to be making any excuses or saying "it's OK since it wasn't a sanctioned event." It absolutely isn't OK.

No, they shouldn't be chastised and disciplined.

It's not a big deal. If they want to finally dress nicely, I'm all for it. That'd be great!